THE BUSHRANGERS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 850, 6 January 1879, Page 2

THE BUSHRANGERS.

(From the Australasian.)

Mr. Donald Cameron, M.L.A., submitted to the Chief Secretary on Wednesday the letter he received from Edward Kelly, the leader of the Mansfield murderers. Mr. Berry read the document carefully, and agreed with Mr. Cameron that it would be Injudicious to publish it at present, as it, was clearly written for the purpose of exciting public sympathy for the murderers. As, however, it contained very serious allegations '. against members of the .police force that may require some investigation, it was handed over to the Attorney-General for his consideration. Tlie tenatole i4wMrm»*>v Kelly to tear up -rails and sacrifice life on the North-Eastern Railway, were noted by Mr. Berry, who took steps to bring them under the cognisance of the railway authorities, in order that precautions might be taken immediately. The determination not to-, publish the letter mi extenso at present will be adhered to, but Mr. Cameron has felt justified in supplying us with the following outline of its contents : :

Kelly commences with an apology for ti'Qubling Mr. Cameron, but declares that he felt bound to make his case known, in order that justice might be done to. his friends. He then gives a history of his life from the time he went to live at Greta, and details various cases of horse-stealing, in which, he alleges, he was wrongfully accused by the police. In giving his version of the outrage on Constable Fitzpatriek, he states that when it occurred he was 400 miles away from the place, and that he subsequently learned that it was because the constable was endeavoring to arrest his brother merely on the strength of a telegram, and without any warrant, that he was turned out of their house. He denies that Fitzpatrick was shot in the arm, averring ithat this was a concocted story, and alleges that a certain publican was a party .to the fabrication. His complaint is that his mother, with her baby, and his two friends, Skillion and Williams, have been wrongfully imprisoned. He therefore demands that justice shall be done to them, but asks no mercy for himself, and indicates that he expeots none. When he returned home, he found that warrants were out for his arrest, and that a reward was offered for him. Being afraid, he went mining with his brother and some other "men. They were under the impression that the country was "woven" with police, and as they 5 had only two small guns, they thought their only chance was in attacking a police camp, securing the police arms, and "in then a rush through the supposed cbfdon to New South Wales. He then relates how they surprised the camp near Mansfield, and shot Sergeant Kennedy and the two constables. Conjstable.iM'fctyre'. surrendered 'ajfc once, but Lonigan, instead of bailing up;, jan to a " battery," and " popped up his head" as if he were going to shoot. He (Kelly) thereupon covered him. witl} his rifle, and shot him. Sergeant Kenuedj and he'(Kelly) fired at each other for some time. Kennedy eventually got behind a tree, where he was shot in the arm. He thenmadß-a rush out, but turned baok again, and threw up his arm. By this time he had dropped his revolver, but he (Kelly) did not observe that he had done so, and supposing that he raised his arm to fire again, he (Kelly) fired and shot him dead through the chest. He pretends to be sorry for having shot Kennedy and Scanlan, but expresses no regret for the murder of Lonigan. Towards the end of the letter he makes a number of horrible threats, the principal of which are against the Railway Department, and declares that he will carry them out if justice is not done to his relatives and friends, who he again alleges have been grievously wronged by several menibe,rs qf the police, force. He. makes a about tfie police who are i|i pursuit ojf the gang nqt wearing their uniform, and asks why they should not don the regimentals, and fignt the matter qu* in their true colors, As it is, he says, they cannot be distinguished from civilians, and renders it possible that he may shoot civilians, by mistake. If justice is not done to hia friends he will "wage a war ori all mankind. " He attempts to finish with a verse of original poetry, the only two intelligible, lines of which are—

". I don't want shot or powder. To ayenge" ' lse your railways—with a sweet goqd-bye from Edward Kelly, a forced outlaw."